Donald Edmond "Donnie" Wahlberg Jr. was born on August 17, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts, to a family of Swedish, Irish, French-Canadian, English, and Scottish descent. He is the eighth of nine children to Alma Elaine Conroy and Donald Edward Wahlberg. His parents eventually divorced, and Donnie found a positive outlet in school plays, acting, writing, and directing. At 15, he became a member of the teen vocal group NYNUK, which later evolved into the famous boy band New Kids on the Block.
As a founding member of New Kids on the Block, Donnie experienced immense success with hits like "Please Don't Go Girl" and "The Right Stuff." The group's second album reached number one, and they became one of the most popular young singing and line-dancing groups of the late 1980s and early 1990s. They went on to sell over 70 million albums worldwide, influencing other groups like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.
Donnie's personal life was marked by trouble, including alleged arson charges and numerous tattoos and body piercings. The group disbanded in 1994 due to internal conflicts and the juvenile image. After the band's breakup, Donnie transitioned to acting, initially appearing in films like Bullet (1996) and Ransom (1996). He also starred in TV movies and eventually landed a role in the critically acclaimed film Southie (1998).
Donnie's most powerful role was in the opening sequence of M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller The Sixth Sense (1999),which received critical acclaim. He continued to work in film and television, appearing in projects like Band of Brothers (2001),Boomtown (2002),and Blue Bloods (2010).
Donnie has two sons, Xavier and Elijah, with his first wife Kim Fey, and is married to actress and producer Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg. Despite his troubled past, Donnie has proven himself to be a talented and dedicated actor, avoiding the pitfalls of drugs and self-destruction.
